Posts

Eurovision 2023: Grand Final Jury Show – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

After the Semi-Finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, the contestants that got the golden ticket are ready for the Grand Final tomorrow at 21.00 CET. 50% of the Grand Final result will be determined tonight, in the Final Jury Rehearsal that has just started and will be evaluated by the national juries of the 38 participating countries.

Earlier today we saw the Dress Rehearsal and you can read our commentary here.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Grand Final tomorrow May 13th.

The Show

The contest begins with an introductory video featuring the Kalush Orchestra singing the winning song “Stefania” in the Kyiv subway, while Sam Ryder is featured playing guitar. We actually listen to a remix of “Stefania” with lyrics in English as well. Then we move to the M&S Bank Arena stage where the Kalush Orchestra are now singing live.

Next comes the flag parade, during which Go_A (Ukraine 2020-2021), Jamala (Ukraine 2016), Tina Karol (Ukraine 2006) and Verka Serduchka (Ukraine 2007) perform.

After the flag parade, the 4 presenters present themselves and welcome us. A very interesting addition is the display of the ranking of the countries with the most wins in the competition and the show begins!

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Austria

The Eurovision party starts with a fun and sleek performance from the Austrian female duo. Teya and Salena give one of their best performances, in terms of vocals and energy, that could be appreciated by juries. A great opening act but maybe performing so soon will reduce their chances for a top-10 result.

Portugal

Mimicat was lucky to qualify, but unlucky to take the 2nd spot in the running order. Nevertheless, she manages to fill the stage with her great vocals, tamperament and sassy choreography. A decent entry that will probably struggle to avoid the last places of the scoreboard.

Switzerland

Remo Forrer sings his contemporary ballad “Watergun” as good as always. Perhaps he doesn’t give all the energy he could tonight, but his pitch perfect vocals and professional staging will surely boost his jury score a lot. However, I doubt the televoters will remember this performance once the show is over, so his televote could be very low.

Poland

The big surprise of this year’s contest, Blanka from Poland, that earned her place in the Grand Final, delivers a decent performance of her summer bop, that the tv audience will surely enjoy tomorrow. The juries on the other hand, could rank it much lower, due to the singer’s limited vocal abilities and to the fact that “Solo” is a very repetitive song.

Serbia

Luke Black is yet another singer with limited charisma and vocal abilities that could struggle to gather votes from the juries. However, Serbia has managed to hide the performer’s disadvantages, creating a memorable energetic show with clever graphics and camera cuts. Luke doesn’t have the best spot in the running order but could get a decent televote score tomorrow.

France

La Zarra is the first of the big favourites to appear in the Grand Final with a performance that oozes French class. Vocally she’s good but certainly not great, with the backing vocals sometimes overpowering her. She manages to hit the high note! An entry that will probably do well enough with both juries and televoters, but hasn’t reached its full potential and could miss out on the top spots.

Cyprus

Andrew delivers a very good performance of his power ballad “Break A Broken Heart”. It wasn’t his best time vocally and the backing vocals overpowered him at times but overall a great “package”, that could sadly underperform due to it’s unfavorable spot in the running order, between many favorites.

Spain

Up next, one of the most artistic and engaging acts of the entire show by Blanca Paloma. Vocally and visually stunning, the juries should reward Blanca with many points. The televote result, on the other hand, remains a big mystery, especially as Spain appears right before the absolute favorite of Eurovision 2023.

First Break

Sweden

It’s time for the big favorite, Loreen from Sweden, performing her hit-single Tattoo, that is already charting all over Europe. The camera angles, lighting and colors have been perfected, making the act as impressive as it was in Melodifestivalen. Loreen’s vocals are amazing and she owns the stage more than ever. The shot with the “tattoos” on the led screen during the bridge is finally caught by the camera! It will be a big surprise if Sweden doesn’t win the jury vote in a landslide and the contest overall.

Albania

The Albanian family defined all odds and qualified to the Grand Final! A big success already, no matter what place they reach in the Final, Albanians can be proud as this is a very professional act. Tonight we see some different camera work in the beginning, improving the show even further.

Italy

Marco Mengoni is back in his sparkly silver top and leather pants. His vocals are very strong, as always, and we can see more shots of the dancers in the background. It would help if Marco connected with the camera a bit more, but Italy will surely get a great result, continuing their top 10 streak.

Estonia

Yet another act that wasn’t a certain qualifier but managed to get through thanks to a professional performance. Alika is pitch perfect once again and sings her ballad beautifully but being squeezed between many favorites means she will probably finish in the last spots of the scoreboard.

Finland

The second favorite of this year’s contest, Kaarija from Finland, gives us a great fun performance, together with his “Cha Cha Cha” dancers. Kaarija doesn’t have the best vocals and sounds tired by the end of the act but the entire arena parties with him. He ends his crazy show saying his catchphrase “it’s crazy, it’s party” and he will definetely get a huge televote score tomorrow. His jury score however will probably be significantly lower.

Czechia

Vesna, the Slavic “sisters”, proved that they are more than capable performers, crafting a great and meaningful show on the Eurovision stage. Maybe not perfect vocally but still strong, this remains one of the most unique songs of the contest. Performing right after a “televote magnet” however could hurt their chances.

Australia

Next up on stage, the progressive metal band from Australia, Voyager. Their lead singer is one of the most consistent and obviously experienced performers of the contest. It is no surprise that they deliver yet another excellent live vocally and staging wise. It remains to be seen how juries and televoters will react to this song.

Belgium

Gustaph, considered as sure non-qualifier when first selected, managed to turn the table around and qualify to the Grand Final as a sure qualifier. The crowd goes grazy for his 90s inspired dance track, his impeccable vocals and voguing dancer. An act that surprisinly stands out and could manage to crack the top-15 tomorrow, gathering points from both juries and televoters!

Second Break

Armenia

Brunette managed to define statistics and qualify from the 2nd spot of the Semi-Final, delivering one of, if not the best performance. Tonight she gave her best live so far! Beautiful vocals, clever staging and a captivating dance break that should give Armenia their best result since 2016, especially if juries respond to it.

Moldova

Up next, an entry that stands out with its ethnic-techno vibes. A good performance by Pasha, made memorable by the clever staging with the flute-playing dwarf and backing dancers-singers. Moldova is hoping to receive a strong televote result, as usual, but the juries probably wont’t rank this very high.

Ukraine

Last year’s winning country returns with a modern and sleek entry. Tvorchi give a good performance, perhaps not their best vocally but overall this is a strong package that should be respected by juries and could get a very big televote.

Norway

Alessandra starts her act more confident than ever. However, it seems there is some audio issue as a strong echo can be heard. In the second verse she’s a bit off vocally. Thankfully, the talented performers overcomes the problems and finishes the performance with lots of energy and a succesfull, but maybe flat, whistle note. The televoters will surely love this but will the juries respond as much? It remains to be seen.

Germany

Lord of The Lost, the second rock band of this Eurovision edition, are also vocally on point and impress with their effortless energy that the Liverpool audience certainly enjoys. This should hopefully be enough for Germany to at least avoid last place for the first time after a few years.

Lithuania

Monika Linkyte and her backing singers give us yet another great performance. Even if she lost her breat once and asked the audience to sing, that was a very impressive live that should be rewared by juries and will definetely get televote points tomorrow, at least from the Lithuanian diaspora.

Israel

Noa Kirel, the Israeli superstar, commands the stage, looking and sounding better than ever. An amazing MTV-awards-level show that will surely impress both juries and tv viewers and land in a high spot tomorrow night.

Slovenia

Joker Out, the charismatic band from Slovenia that managed to bring their country back to the Grand Final, deliver yet another energetic concert-like show, that gets the crowd going. Performing late in the Final could give Slovenia their best result in years.

Croatia

In the very favorable penultimate spot of the Grand Final, we see the most bizarre act of the year. You either love it or hate it but you can certainly not forget it. Could Croatia be the biggest surprise of the year getting a huge televote tomorrow night! I would’t be surprised!

United Kingdom

Mae Muller has sadly proven that she is the weakest performer of the year. A colorful finish to the show, drowned in pre-recorded backing backing vocals and subpar singing from the British representative. This would definetely be more entertaining in mute, meaning the UK is returning to the bottom of the scoreboard.

Intervals acts

The interval acts start with Sam Ryder. “Liverpool Song Book” follows.

First up is Mahmood (Italy 2019 and 2022), who performs “Imagine” by John Lehnon, whose birthplace was Liverpool. Next is Netta (Israel 2018) singing “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”. Then, Daði Freyr (Iceland 2020 and 2021) with “Whole Again” and Cornelia Jakobs (Sweden 2022) with “I Turn to You”. Last, Sonia (United Kingdom 1993) sings 30 years after her participation “Better the Devil You Know” and also Duncan Laurence (Netherlands 2019). In some moments we also see Ruslana from Ukraine. The common denominator of all these appearances is the city of Liverpool. Very moving interval act.

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: Jury Rehearsal of the 2nd Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

The “jury” rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 Second Semi Final has just started and the the Liverpool Arena is filled with eurofans! Even though the Semi-Final results wil be determined 100% by the televote, national juries will watch and score today’s rehearsals and their votes will count in case a country’s televote fails to produce a valid result. Earlier today we saw the First Dress Rehearsal and you can read our commentary here.

Tonight, in addition to the 16 participating countries of the Second Semi-Final, we will also see the United Kingdom, Spain and last year’s winner Ukraine perform their entries.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final tomorrow May 11th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

A spoken word piece opens the Second Semi-Final talking through the history of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The hosts, Alesha Dixon, Hannah Waddingham and Julia Sanina welcome us and remind us that the competition is taking place in the UK because of the war in Ukraine. We see the 16 competing artists in the led wall behind the presenters and the voting numbers appear.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Denmark – Breaking My Heart

Reiley, the TikTok star from the Faroe Islands, is dressed in pink, inside an elaborate pink prop that looks like a house and rotates to reveal different rooms. Later, Reiley walks to the second stage and the led wall becomes blue and then green. Sadly, it is vocally weak and rather annoying, something that will probably prevent him from reaching the Grand Final.

Armenia – Future Lover

Brunette delivers one of the most impressive performances visually, standing on a curved platform with pink projections on her, and later intense black and white lights. The added dance break is definetely eye-catching and Brunette is a great performer, that will undoubtedly qualify for Saturday’s final and is aiming high.

Romania – D.G.T.(On and Off)

Theodor is a good vocalist but sadly the entire performance and staging, with distasteful led content and awkward choreography from Theodor and his dancer, seems very amateurish. Romania will be lucky if they avoid the absolute last place of this Semi-Final.

Estonia – Bridges

Alika, the talented singer from Estonia, brings a slightly elevated version of her Eesti Laul performance with pretty blue leds and her characteristic piano that plays by itself. It’s an act that will suffer due to the absence of juries from the Semi-Finals, as the televoters could easily find it dull and forget it. It’s qualification feels very uncertain.

Belgium – Because Of You

Gustaph gives the show some much needed energy, with his 90s themed song. The staging is very similar to the one from Belgium’s national final, with an added staircase, a dancer and loads of voguing. Vocally great as always, but will it be enough for Gustaph to make it through? I’m leaning towards yes but I’m not certain.

First Break

Cyprus – Break a Broken Heart

The Australian born Greek-Cypriot singer Andrew Lambrou delivers a great live of his power ballad. The staging is a bit static, with repeated shots of a waterfall but nevertheless professional. The final minute of the song is filled with huge fire jets. A very decent performance that doesn’t scream winner but will easily earn its place in the Grand Final.

Iceland – Power

Next up, we have the energetic Dilja from Iceland. She is very good vocally but the performance feels completely all over the place, with the young singer doing unnecessary acrobatics and coming off rather aggresive. The camera shots aren’t great, making the viewer feel dizzy and overall quite bored, if not annoyed. Iceland’s journey in Eurovision 2023 ends tomorrow.

Greece – What They Say

16-year old Victor from Greece has visibly improved vocally, compared to his previous rehearsals. The beginning of the performance, with him laying on the floor is very interesting visually but the rest of the staging feels quite messy. Victor’s bouncing a lot and looks nervous, but maybe he could get just enough points to sneak into the Final.

Poland – Solo

Coming next, the big surprise of the rehearsals, Blanka from Poland. From certain non-qualifier, Poland now has a guaranteed spot in the Grand Final, thanks to the visually extremely entertaining show and the much improved vocals of Blanka, who looks stunning. Maybe too many effects, but obviously too much is never enough for the iconic “Bejba”.

Slovenia – Carpe Diem

Joker Out, the charismatic Slovenian band, transfer us to their concert, as they own the stage, delivering tons of energy and fun. The lead singer is vocally great and the tone of his voice elevates the song a lot. After 3 years, Slovenia is returning to the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Georgia – Echo

Iru looks stunning in her white dress and sounds pitch perfect. The performance is pretty, with nice lighting and led content, but quite static and overall dated. This would’t be out of place in a 2011 Eurovision National Final. However, it would be a big surprise if Georgia didn’t make it through, as it’s definetely one of the stronger acts in a weak Semi-Final. Georgia will return to the Grand Final, after 7 years, but will struggle to escape the last places once it gets there.

Second Break

San Marino – Like An Animal

Probably the biggest underdogs of the competition, Piqued Jacks from San Marino, deliver a well crafted show, vocally and visually decent. However, the professional staging with black and red pop-art led content isn’t enough to elevate a very weak composition, musically and lyrically. The landlocked microstate won’t escape the bottom two of this Semi-Final.

Austria – Who the hell is Edgar?

Teya and Salena grace the Eurovision stage with one of the most clever and funny songs of the year. Their stage show is very polished but perheps not fun enough. The red, black and white leds with the dancers are nice but quite repetitive, and it feels like the act doesn’t have a clear purpose and lacks energy. Vocally decent, with some weak moments, the female duo from Austria will obviously qualify but I’m not so sure that they can win the Semi Final. Once they get to the Final, I expect them to significantly underperform.

Albania – Duje

The very likable family from Albania give us a stereotypical Albanian act, full of powerful vocals, red, black and orange visuals and lots of fire. This definetely stands out as the only ethnic song and is performed professionaly but perhaps has a very limited audience. The noticable absence of countries with Albanian diaspora from this Semi-Final means Albania’s qualification is far from certain.

Lithuania – Stay

Monika Linkyte delivers a vocally powerful and visually pleasing, warm performance, accompanied by her backing vocalists. They manage to create a beautiful atmosphere that the audience seems to enjoy. This song really shines near the end of the Second Semi Final, making Lithuania’s qualification a certainty.

Australia – Promise

Voyager, the progressive metal band from Australia, are obviously very experienced performers and close the show with a bang. Excellent staging with 80s vaporwave vibes and a car on stage. The arena loves them, as they deliver an excellent performance, full of energy, that is guaranteed to qualify tomorrow night.

Certain Qualifiers

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Slovenia

Poland

Cyprus

Lithuania

Georgia

Borderline Qualifiers

Belgium

Greece

Albania

Estonia

Non Qualifiers

Denmark

Iceland

Romania

San Marino

Interval Acts

Ukrainian singers Mariya Yaremchuk, Otoy and Zlata Dziunka perform a medley of Ukrainian songs. Then we watch another recap and get ready for lines to close.

Three drag queens take the place of the presenters and perform “Be Who You Wanna Be”.

Mans Zelmerlow and Filomena return with the “game” of guessing which countries they have or have not qualified in the past.

Big 5 and Ukraine

Spain

Blanca Paloma transferred her Benidorm performance to the Liverpool stage, with minor improvements. Vocally impeccable and visually captivating, this entry will be greatly appreciated by jurors but maybe also by the European audience. There is quite nothing like it in the competition and viewers will certainly not forget it.

Ukraine

Ukrainians show once again that they are the masters of staging at Eurovision. TVORVHI probably have the most sleek, stylish and modern performance of the year. It starts a bit low energy but that is quickly fixed, when pyro jets join the show. Great act but the song is probably a bit forgettable. Of course, Ukraine’s result is maybe the biggest mystery of the year, as we don’t know how the sympathy and diaspora votes will impact their score.

United Kingdom

Mae Muller will close Saturday’s Grand Final with a fun and upbeat number, staged cleverly with colorful pop art vibes. Her vocals however are perhaps the worst in this year’s contest and completely destroy the act. She’s struggling to hit the notes and looks uncomfortable, which means United Kingdom could be returning to the bottom of the scoreboard.

The Results

Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

The ten countries that (virtually) qualified for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:

San Marino, Lithuania, Belgium, Armenia, Cyprus, Estonia, Romania, Austria, Poland, Slovenia

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: “Jury” Rehearsal of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

The “jury” rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 First Semi Final has just started and the the Liverpool Arena is filled with eurofans! Even though the Semi-Final results wil be determined 100% by the televote, national juries will watch and score today’s rehearsals and their votes will count in case a country’s televote fails to produce a valid result. Earlier today we saw the First Dress Rehearsal and you can read our commentary here.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final tomorrow May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The show opens with a video of a young Liverpudlian boy traveling across the city telling his family, friends, neighbours (and some special guests!) that Eurovision is in Liverpool. The young boy dances yogether with a young girl on the Eurovision stage.

Julia Sanina performs “Mayak” by The Hardkiss. Translating from the Ukrainian for Lighthouse, the performance: “symbolises in many ways how the UK is United by Music with Ukraine through the hosting the 2023 Contest on behalf of the 2022 winners.”

Spice Girl Mel C‘ voice introduces to the stage the hosts of the contest to viewers across the globe. The hosts of the show are the female trio of superstars Julia Sanina of The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, and Alesha Dixon.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

The jury rehearsal starts with an energetic show by Alessandra. The young singer looks confident and sounds great, with the exeption of small vocal instabilities. She nails the whistle note as usual but right after it, it seems she loses her breath a bit as she “talks” a few phrases instead of singing. A minor problem that she handled well. Norway will probably finish top-5 in the semi.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

Next up, a quirky, colorful fun but also a bit awkward and messy performance from The Busker, that gets the crowd cheering! Big applause in the Liverpool Arena but I doubt this will translate to many televote points for the small island nation.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

Luke Black looks more comfortable than ever, performing his unique number, full of strobing lights, clever camera cuts and video game referances. The crowd absolutely loves the crazy show he puts on, making sure that Serbia is sailing to the Grand Final.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

The Latvian band manages to create a unique atmosphere on the Eurovision stage with their beautiful lightshow and masterful vocal performance. Definetely an entry that will be hurt by the absence of juries in the semi finals, as their qualification based on the televote alone seems very doubtful.

First Break

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

Mimicat is very much improved vocally compared to her previous rehearsal today. She delivers loads of energy and sassy choreography, that is almost enough to fill the rather empty stage. Excellent performance but will Portugal qualify, based solely on the singer’s charisma? It remains to be seen but I’m leaning towards yes.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

It feels like Wild Youth are almost performing at home soil, as the Liverpool audience welcomes them with the warmest applause. Sadly, they deliver their worst performance so far, as the singer looks uncomfortable, avoids singing parts of the song and sounds very off, making Ireland a strong candidate for the last place of the Semi-Final.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

The infamous Croatian band give us yet another wacky show that you either love or hate, but can certainly not forget. Even though it’s completely crazy and off-putting, it’s executed very professionally in terms of staging and vocal performance. They will probably make it to Saturday’s final!

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

Remo is perhaps not very charismatic but is the stronger male vocalist of the Semi Final and presents a very well crafted show, staged by Sacha Jean Baptiste, in her trademark red and black colors and quick camera cuts. The “fireworks” falling from the ceiling and the interpretive dancers give this a special feeling, making its qualification very likely, but not certain.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

The Israeli superstar has improved vocally from her previous rehearsal and looks stunning as always. An extremely polished and impressive MTV-award show-like performance with intense choreography, but perhaps not fun or engaging enough to smash its competition in the Grand Final, where it will be for sure.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

Up next, a very engaging mystical performance from Eurovision returnee Pasha, who seems to experience some audio technical difficulties in the beginning but quickly overcomes them. The unique feeling of the entry, with the horn-wearing back-up dancers and singers and the flute-playing dwarf, as well as the charisma of the singer make Moldova’s qualification pretty much certain.

Second Break

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

The Eurovision legend herself, Loreen, delivers a winning performance. She and her expert swedish team have managed to create a show as good as the one in Melodifestivalen, perfecting the camera angles and colors, making sure it still feels grand, cinematic and epic. Vocally strong and emotional as ever, Loreen is ready to be crowned as the first woman who wins Eurovision twice.

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

The Azeri twins give us another cute performance of their vintage sounding song, that is sweet but sadly very forgettable and gets lost among stronger entries. Their qualification looks impossible.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

The “slavic sisters” are amazing on stage and vocally on point. They manage to convey the message of their multi-layered song, giving strong female-empowerment vibes and filling the stage with their presence. A song and staging that stands out and will lead Czechia to their second qualification in a row.

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

The Dutch duo give an atmospheric performance of their ambient song that stands out with its simplicity but aren’t at their best vocally. They have improved from their pre-party lives but still struggle a bit to connect with each other and with the audience. It’s highly likely that the qualification streak of the Netherlands will break this year.

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

The unique Finish performer manages to make the crowd go crazy with his uplifting show, but struggles vocally and relies heavily on the pre-recorded backing vocals. The impactful fun energy will give him many televote points but the juries will probably punish his weak vocals, making his winning chances rather slim. Qualification of course is more than certain for Käärijä and his Cha Cha Cha dancers.

Interval Act

Alyosha (Ukraine 2010) and Rebecca Fergusson perform together a cover of “Ordinary World”. Wordwide superstar Rita Ora performs a medley of her hits, as well as a world premiere of ‘Praising You’.

Then a video with a good dose of British humour shows us the most characteristic Ukrainian and British entries. In the video the one and only Graham Norton does the voice over! Then a game starring Måns Zelmerlöw (Sweden 2015) and Filomena Cautela (Presenter in 2018) follows, where they try to guess if some earlier entries qualified for the Final or not.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Czechia

Croatia

Borderline Qualifiers

Switzerland

Portugal

Netherlands

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

This entry oozes class and French glamor, with La Zarra being more and more confident and improving vocally. Her dress reveal is very impressive, while the last minute of the act looks spectacular. A performance that the crowd certainly enjoyed.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

The members of the glam rock German band are back in their characteristic shiny leather outfits. The lead singer is one of the most consistent, pitch-perfect performers of Eurovision 2023 and never fails to transfer the vibe of “Blood and Glitter”.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

The audience of the Liverpool Arena loves the talented and charismatic Italian singer, who delivers yet another wonderful performance of his emotional ballad wearing a sparkly top. In the backdrop, the full moon and two male dancers falling from a staircase to a trampoline and back up again, creating a nice atmosphere.

The Results

Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

In the previous rehearsal, we saw a different method of announcing the qualifiers, with the contestants being brought to the stage but this has been scrapped and we’re back to the original announcement segment in the green room.

The ten countries that (virtually) qualified for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:

Azerbaijan, Ireland, Swtzerland, Czechia, Malta, Israel, Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal and Norway

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: Dress Rehearsal of the 1st Semi Final – Live Commentary! (Updated Live)

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Today is the first day of the Eurovision week! We can already feel “United by Music” all the way from M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool and it’s just a few days before we finally know the winner of the 67th Eurovision Song Contest!

The dress rehearsal of the Eurovision 2023 First Semi Final has just started. EurovisionFun will be watching all the shows live both at the on-site press centre in Liverpool and at the online press centre and will be commenting on the full performances of the 15 participating countries, as well as Germany, France and Italy.

This article gets updated in real-time, all you need to do is hit the refresh button on your browser!

So stay tuned to this article as we update it with all details, preparing you for what you will see in the Semi-Final tomorrow May 9th, at 21:00 CEST.

The Show

The show opens with a video of a young Liverpudlian boy traveling across the city telling his family, friends, neighbours (and some special guests!) that Eurovision is in Liverpool. The young boy dances yogether with a young girl on the Eurovision stage.

Julia Sanina performs “Mayak” by The Hardkiss. Translating from the Ukrainian for Lighthouse, the performance: “symbolises in many ways how the UK is United by Music with Ukraine through the hosting the 2023 Contest on behalf of the 2022 winners.”

Spice Girl Mel C‘ voice introduces to the stage the hosts of the contest to viewers across the globe. The hosts of the show are the female trio of superstars Julia Sanina of The Hardkiss, Hannah Waddingham, and Alesha Dixon.

The Competing Countries – LIVE COMMENTARY

Norway: Alessandra – Queen of Kings

Alessandra Mele kicks off the contest with loads of energy, performing her scandi-banger. The performance is very similar to the one from MGP, dark with intense strobing lights and some added orange led content near the ending. Vocally ok but not great, Alessandra will sail to the Grand Final.

Malta: The Busker – Dance (Our Own Party)

The Busker, performing in the unlucky 2nd position, give us a slightly updated version of their MESC performance, with almost identical camera cuts and transitions. A fun and colorful number that will probably struggle to make it to the Final.

Serbia: Luke Black – Samo Mi Se Spava

Another energetic performance from Luke Black, who also kept the staging from his National Final but significantly elevated it, making it look bigger and epic on the Eurovision stage. The added on-screen video game graphics really add to the unique performance, making it stand out. It would be a big surprise if Serbia didn’t manage to qualify for the Grand Final.

Latvia: Sudden Lights – Aijā

Sudden Lights are once again flawless performers. The performance is almost identical to their Supernova show, with some minor led content added. Beautiful performance and lightshow, but a low-key song that could easily get lost in this difficult semi-final. Sadly, it will e very difficult for Latvia to qualify.

First Break

Alesha Dixon chats with young local children and raps a small improvised song about Eurovision.

Portugal: Mimicat – Ai Coração

Mimicat is a charismatic performer but this feels like a downgrade from her FdC performance. She and her dancers give energy but the stage feels quite dark and empty, so viewers could be bored. Also this wasn’t one of her best vocal deliveries. On the other hand it stands out due to its unique style but Portugal’s qualification is not certain.

Ireland: Wild Youth – We Are One

Wild Youth have tried to improve their chances by making their performance as golden as possible. Unfortunately their lead singer is struggling vocally, as usual, and their generic song gets instantly forgotten. Ireland’s journey to Eurovision 2023 ends tomorrow.

Croatia: Let 3 – Mama ŠČ!

The unique and controversial Let 3 deliver a crazy performance, full of weird sounds, psychedelic leds and clever “SC” on screen graphics that definetely stands out. The fact that the results of the Semi Final are 100% televote should help them make it to the Grand Final.

Switzerland: Remo Forrer – Watergun

Switzerland gives us a professionally crafted performance with perfect vocals and interpretive dancing. In the beginning the dancers hold ribbons around Remo but he breaks free and in the end runs to the smaller stage. The show is full of red, black and white colors but I’m not sure if it’s memorable enough. It feels really borderline.

Israel: Noa Kirel – Unicorn

Noa starts her performance inside her rectangular prop and is then joined by her dancers. Vocally she sounds ok, maybe a little unstable (even though technical issues of the online press center can’t let us be certain). The final part of the performance remains as it was in the rehearsal snippet that was released, very energetic but maybe a bit dark. Israel is heading for the top-5 and maybe even top-3 of this Semi-Final but could do worse than expected in the Grand Final.

Moldova: Pasha Parfeni – Soarele şi Luna

Pasha delivers a great show, in orange and red colors with two backing singers – dancers, a dancing dwarf and two drummers, that massively stand out for its ethnic and techno elements. Vocally great and interesting to watch, Moldova should have no problems qualifying.

Second Break

Sweden: Loreen – Tattoo

The big favourite of Eurovision 2023 does not disappoint. Loreen, vocally amazing, had to down-scale her Melodifestivalen performance but this still looks cinematic and epic with great lighting. Some camera shots definetely need to be worked and maybe some added smoke could create a more mysterious atmosphere. Qualification isn’t even a question of course.

Azerbaijan: TuralTuranX – Tell Me More

A sweet performance, in red, blue and pink, by the Azeri twins, that reminds us of The Beatles tunes. An entry that could be supported by juries if they voted in the semi final, but qualification with 100% televoting seems impossible.

Czechia: Vesna – My Sister’s Crown

The girl-group Vesna have significantly improved from their previous performances but still sound a bit shaky vocally and the mixing needs work. The staging is very sleek and modern, but maybe a bit cold. The bridge of the song looks very impressive on stage as the lights go down and the girls stand in a circle singing in unison. Czechia will qualify but maybe not do that well in the Final.

Netherlands: Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper – Burning Daylight

Another act that has improved a lot from their previous live performances. Still room to improve vocally but very decent. The atmospheric blue staging with strobes of “burning daylight” really fits the song, that really stands out as the only duet. Mia and Dion could surprise and make it to the Grand Final!

Finland: Käärijä – Cha Cha Cha

A fun and colorful performance from Finland that starts inside a wooden box (with some weird camera shots) that will definetely get the crowd going wild and easily qualify. In the beginning the leds are mainly green and towards the end they include all the colors of the rainbow. However, Käärijä sounded very weak vocally and the entire show could come off as rather kitsh. Finland will do well but won’t come anywhere near winning Eurovision this year.

Interval Act

Wordwide superstar Rita Ora performs a medley of her hits, as well as a world premiere of ‘Praising You’. Alyosha (Ukraine 2010) and Rebecca Fergusson perform together a cover of “Ordinary World”.

Certain Qualifiers

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Israel

Moldova

Serbia

Croatia

Czechia

Borderline Qualifiers

Netherlands

Switzerland

Portugal

Non Qualifiers

Malta

Latvia

Azerbaijan

Ireland

BIG 5 Performances

France: La Zarra – Évidemment

La Zarra stands on a huge platform that is covered by a sparkling dress. The dress falls and revelas that the top of the platform looks like a discoball, sending light everywhere in the arena. The performance has great camera cuts and vocals. Near the end, the French flag appears in the background lights and a huge curtain of fireworks falls from the ceiling.

Germany: Lord of The Lost – Blood & Glitter

Lord of the Lost deliver a professional show full of energy, very similar to their performance in the national final. The singer is vocally amazing and the song finishes with lots of pyro. Germany should avoid the last places in the Grand Final.

Italy: Marco Mengoni – Due Vite

Marco wears a sparkly shirt and leather pants. Two dancers are behind him on a staircase, falling on a trampoline, in front of the eclipsed moon. However throughout the performance the focus remains on him and his impreccable vocals. A very touching entry that could do better than expected.

The Results

Martin Osterdahl executive producer of Eurovision Song Contest 2022, declares that he is happy to see that we now have a valid result!

Here we have a big change, as the 15 competing acts stand on stage, without their delegations, waiting for the result. The camera shows them one by one, as the presenters announce the qualifiers. After the first 5 qualifiers are announced, Alesha interviews them backstage and then we learn the 5 remaining qualifiers.

The ten countries that (virtually) qualify to the finals for the purposes of the rehearsal were the following:

Sweden, Moldova, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Israel, Serbia and the Netherlands

Closing the televised show, we will get to watch a recap of the ten finalist songs.

Watch clips of the dress rehearsal from inside the arena:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxZjOnmr0-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7UWucPFidw

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a thing of what will happen in Liverpool:

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding the the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, that is held in Liverpool!

Eurovision 2023: The Netherlands’ First Rehearsal!

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Liverpool Arena is busier than ever with the Dutch representatives Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper rehearsing their 2023 entry “Burning Daylight”.

Everything about Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper

Mia Nicolai is an Amsterdam-born Dutch singer who is mostly based in Los Angeles.She kicked off her music career in 2018 with the release of a cover of Glenn Miller’s song “At Last” and has released an array of commercial singles ever since.

Dion Cooper is a Dutch singer who first rose to prominence with his participation in the sixth season of the Voice of Holland in 2015.He released an EP in 2021 and is set to represent the Netherlands this year with the song “Burning Daylight”,co-written with Duncan Laurence among others.

The Rehearsal

Well, this is sad and dreamy and uplifting all at the same time. Mia and Dion are on a small revolving stage, and it creates a beautiful effect as they move around each other against the backdrop of spotlights in the arena. It’s a complex camera set-up that makes the whole performance feel really intimate – if you’re watching live in the arena next week, you should definitely watch the video version too, because it presents a completely different perspective. They are both vocal powerhouses, and the harmonies are really quite special – you can see their costumes on the backstage picture below.

@eurovision Haunting, mesmerising, and enchanting stuff from Mia & Dion 🥺🧡 #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @Mia Nicolai @Dion Cooper ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Corinne Cumming – EBU

Sarah Louise Bennett – EBU

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

source:eurovision.tv

Eurovision 2023: Czechia’s First Rehearsal!

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Eurovision stage is heating up as Vesna from Czechia take over the Liverpool Arena.

Everything About Vesna

Vesna is a Czech folk band which comprises of 6 members,all of which are women.They started their career in 2016 and have released two albums ever since.They won the Czech National Final of 2023 by a wide margin and thus,earned the right to represent their homeland with the song “My Sister’s Crown”,a multilingual female empowerment anthem.

The Rehearsal

We love fierce song of Slavic sisterhood, and the huge bassline on this track sounds amazing in the Liverpool arena. The floor is thumping and what was left of the roof after Israel has now been blown off.

Vesna are performing in matching pink pantsuits, so very different from the bright colours in the Czechia national finals and the official video. The six members of the band perform a super-polished dance routine, and the whole three minutes feels really cohesive and well put together, with bags of female empowerment energy. Choose love over power, people.

Here is a clip of today’s rehearsal:

@eurovision Slavic sisterhood 🇨🇿✊ #Eurovision2023 #Eurovision @Vesna ♬ original sound – Eurovision

Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU

Follow us on all social media, so you do not miss a moment of what will happen in Liverpool:

source:eurovision.tv